Bible Study in Simple English 4: Jesus is Alive Again

Lesson 4, Section 1

Read these reports from Jesus’s followers. Look at the vocabulary list for help with new or special words and phrases (bolded words are defined below). Then write answers to the questions.

The Day of Rest was over. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices. They wanted to put the spices on Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1).

…The sun was coming up on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the grave. At once the earth shook and an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He came and pushed back the stone from the door and sat on it…The soldiers were shaking with fear and became as dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus Who was nailed to the cross. He is not here! He has risen from the dead as He said He would. Come and see the place where the Lord lay. Run fast and tell His followers that He is risen from the dead…”

As they went to tell the followers, Jesus met them and said hello to them. They came and held His feet and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My followers…”

While [the women] were on their way, some of the soldiers who were to watch the grave came into the city. They told the head religious leaders everything that had happened. The soldiers gathered together with the other leaders and talked about what to do. The leaders gave much money to the soldiers. They said, “Tell the people, ‘His followers came at night and took His body while we were sleeping.’ We will see that you do not get into trouble over this if Pilate hears about it.” They took the money and did as they were told (Matthew 28:1-2, 4-7, 9-15).

  • Mary Magdalene - Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were among some women healed by Jesus in the Galilee area. They helped pay for the needs of Jesus and His first twelve followers. These three women, and others not known, came with Him when He went to Jerusalem. (See Luke 8:1-3; Mark 15:40-41.)

1.    Why did the women go to the grave of Jesus?

2.    What happened when the women got to the grave?

3.    What happened to the soldiers who were there to watch the grave?

4.    What did the angel tell the women?

5.    What happened to the women on the way to tell the other followers?

6.    What did the soldiers do when they could move again? What did their leaders do?

Lesson 4, Section 2

Read John’s report. Look at the vocabulary list for help with new or special words and phrases (bolded words are defined below). Then write answers to the questions.

[Mary Magdalene] ran to Simon Peter and the other follower whom Jesus loved. She said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the grave. We do not know where they have put Him.”

Then Peter and the other follower went to the grave. They ran but the other follower ran faster than Peter and came to the grave first. He got down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came and went into the grave. He saw the linen cloths lying there. The white cloth that had been around the head of Jesus was not lying with the other linen cloths. It was rolled up and lying apart by itself. Then the other follower, who had come first, went in also. He saw and believed…Then the followers went back again to their homes (John 20:2-8, 10).

  • Simon Peter - This is Peter, the leader of Jesus’s first twelve followers.
  • follower whom Jesus loved* - This is John, one of the first twelve followers of Jesus. John was the writer of this report. He wrote what he saw and heard.

7.    After Mary Magdalene told Peter and John the good news (new information) about Jesus, what did Peter and John do?

8.    What did Peter and John see in the grave?

9.    What they saw helped them believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Why do you think what they saw helped them?

Lesson 4, Section 3

Read more of John’s report. Look at the vocabulary list for help with new or special words and phrases (bolded words are defined below). Then write answers to the questions.

It was evening of the first day of the week. The followers had gathered together with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jews [Jewish leaders and their followers]. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “May you have peace.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were filled with joy…

Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. He was one of the twelve followers and was called the Twin. The other followers told him, “We have seen the Lord!” He said to them, “I will not believe until I put my finger into the marks of the nails. I will not believe until I put my hand into His side.”

Eight days later the followers were again inside a house. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “May you have peace!” He said to Thomas, “Put your finger into My hands. Put your hand into My side. Do not doubt, believe!” Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you believe. Those are happy who have never seen Me and yet believe!” (John 20:19-20, 24-29).

  • peace - You have peace if you are safe and happy. There is no danger and no fighting. All is good for you.
     
  • Thomas - One of the first twelve followers of Jesus.

10.  Why did the followers have the doors locked the first evening after Jesus rose from the dead?

11.  What happened to the followers after they locked the doors? Why did Jesus show the followers his hands and his side?

12.  Thomas was not there when Jesus was seen by the other followers. In your mind, put yourself in the place of Thomas. You return and hear their reports. Would you have believed them? Explain your answer.

13.  What happened to make Thomas change his mind?

14.  What did Jesus say about people who have never seen Him?

Lesson 4, Section 4

Read Paul’s words. Paul became a follower of Jesus a few years after Jesus rose again from the dead. Paul became a leader of Jesus’s followers several years after he became a follower of Jesus. Look at the vocabulary list for help with new or special words and phrases (bolded words are defined below). Then write answers to the questions.

…Christ died for our sins as the Holy Writings said He would…Christ was buried. He was raised from the dead three days later as the Holy Writings said He would…Christ was seen by Peter. After that, the twelve followers saw Him. After that, more than 500 of His followers saw Him at one time. Most of them are still here…after that, James saw Christ. Then all the missionaries saw Him. Last of all, Christ showed Himself to me…(1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

  • Holy Writings* - The Old Testament part of the Bible.
     
  • James - This is the half-brother of Jesus. He was born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born. (See Matthew 13:55.) He did not follow Jesus before Jesus died. He became a leader of Jesus’s followers several years after Jesus died and rose from the dead. Earlier you read about a different James. His mother Mary took spices with Mary Magdalene to the grave of Jesus. (See Lesson 4, Section 1.)
     
  • missionaries - Followers of Jesus who are sent by God to tell other people the good news about Jesus.

15.  Paul said that two things happened that the Old Testament said would happen. What were they?

16.  Paul said many people saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. Write a list of these people.

17.  When Paul said that most of the 500 followers were “still here,” he meant that most of them were still alive. Why was this important?

Lesson 4, Section 5

Read the report by Luke. This report is found in the book of Acts. Luke, the follower of Paul, wrote it to continue the report of events started in the book of Luke. Look at the vocabulary list for help with new or special words and phrases (bolded words are defined below). Then write answers to the questions.

After He [Jesus] had suffered much and then died, He showed Himself alive in many sure ways for forty days. He told them [his followers] many things about the holy nation of God

Those who were with Him asked, “Lord, is this the time for You to give the nation back to the Jews?” He said, “It is not for you to know the special days or the special times which the Father has put in His own power. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

When Jesus had said this and while they were still looking at Him, He was taken up. A cloud carried Him away so they could not see Him (Acts 1:3, 6-9).

  • holy nation of God* - Here Jesus talks about part of the kingdom of God. (See Lesson 3, Section 3.) This is the part here on earth. This is the Christian church. The true followers of Jesus Christ belong to it. This is not the nation Israel that the followers talked about in their question to Him. They wanted to know if Jesus was going to make the Romans leave the Jewish countries of Judea and Galilee. They wanted the Jews to be free again. Note: Jesus said that not every person who says he or she belongs to the church is a true follower. To say and to think the right things is not enough. A person must also do what God tells him or her to do. (See Matthew 7:21, 24; John 13:12-17.)
     
  • Samaria - An area to the north of Judea. It is between Judea and Galilee. (See Map 2.)

18.  What did Jesus talk about with His followers after He rose from the dead?

19.  What did His followers want to talk about? What was His answer?

20.  What happened to Jesus after that?

Lesson Four Answers

1.    The women wanted to put spices (and perfumes) on the body of Jesus.

2.    The earth shook, an angel came down, rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on the stone.

3.    The soldiers shook with fear and fainted (as stated when it said they “became as dead men,” not seeing, hearing, or feeling).

4.    The angel told the women not to be afraid. He said that Jesus was not there. Jesus had risen from the dead as He said He would. The angel told them to see where the body had been and then to run and tell the other followers.

5.    Jesus met the women and said hello. They held His feet and worshipped Him. He told them not to be afraid and to go tell the other followers.

6.    When the soldiers could move again, they went into the city and told the religious leaders what had happened. The leaders told the soldiers to tell a false story and gave them much money not to tell the truth. This was the false story: The soldiers were asleep. Then the followers of Jesus came and took away the body of Jesus. More information: Like today, soldiers were taught to obey their leaders. If they did not obey their leaders about something important, the soldiers were punished or even killed. These soldiers said they had fallen asleep instead of watching. Yet they were not punished or killed. Instead they were given much money. This showed that they lied and their leaders lied.

7.    They ran to the grave of Jesus. John ran faster and got there first but waited for Peter before going in.

8.    They saw linen cloths lying there. They also saw a white cloth rolled up and lying by itself. It was the cloth that had been around the head of Jesus.

9.    The answer comes from the reader’s thoughts. But here is more information: If someone had taken the body, the cloths would not be there. The cloth from around Jesus’s head was rolled up carefully and put away from the other cloths. This showed that there was no hurry in the tomb when it became empty. What Peter and John saw helped them know that Jesus rose from the dead.

10.  They locked the doors because they were afraid of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. The followers of Jesus were afraid because they did not believe the words of Jesus. They did not believe him when He said that He would rise from the dead. They did not believe the women who said they had seen Jesus alive again. They did not believe Peter and John when they told what they saw in the empty grave.

11.  The doors were locked. But Jesus appeared inside the room where the followers were. He spoke to them. He also showed them His hands and side so they could see the marks of the nails and the spear. He wanted His followers to know for sure that He was Jesus. He wanted them to know that He had died and risen again as He had said He would.

12.  The answer comes from the reader’s thoughts.

13.  A week later Jesus came again when the doors were locked. This time Thomas was there, too. Jesus spoke and showed him His hands and side. So Thomas believed. He said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

14.  Jesus told Thomas that people who have never seen Him but still believe in Him are happy. (This will be explained more in Lesson 5.)

15.  Paul said that Jesus died for our sins and that He rose again as the Old Testament said He would. More information: At another time, Paul said that King David wrote about Jesus rising from the dead. David did this in Psalm 16:10 about 1,000 years before Jesus. (See also Acts 13:35-37.) The Old Testament also tells about Jesus dying for our sins. (See Lesson 5.)

16.  Jesus was seen by Peter, Jesus’s first twelve followers, 500 other followers gathered together at one place, James the half-brother of Jesus, all the missionaries (that is, all the followers who were sent to tell others about Jesus), and Paul last of all.

17.  The answer comes from the reader’s thoughts. But here is more information: If most of the 500 followers were still alive, a person could ask them questions about what they saw and heard. Then the person could hear each person’s report and know that they were telling the truth.

18.  Jesus told His followers many things about the Christian church.

19.  His followers wanted to know when Jesus would help them become free from the Romans. Jesus told His followers that they could not know about this. But they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came into their lives. They already knew about Jesus. They were to tell the good news about Him in Jerusalem, in Samaria, and all around the world. And the Holy Spirit would give them the power to do this.

20.  While Jesus and the followers were talking, He was taken up into the sky (and beyond into God’s heaven). A cloud covered Him so that they could not see Him.
 

Scriptures Referenced

Mark 16:1-1
Matthew 28:1-2
Matthew 28:4-7
Matthew 28:9-15
John 20:2-10
John 20:19-20
John 20:24-29
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Acts 1:3-3
Acts 1:6-9
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